title: An audit of antibiotic prescribing by general practitioners in the initial management of acute dental infection.
abstract: A sub-regional audit showed a high rate of referral of acute dentoalveolar infections as emergencies. In Torbay Hospital alone, 21 patients required admission following such referrals in a period of 3 months. A questionnaire was therefore sent out to all general medical and general dental practitioners in the area covered by Torbay Hospital in order to survey their choice of antibiotics in the initial management of acute dentoalveolar infections. The results showed that the prescribing patterns of general medical practitioners differed significantly from those of general dental practitioners and that practitioners were reluctant to prescribe metronidazole as a first choice, even in patients allergic to penicillin. The authors conclude that awareness about the use of antibiotics, particularly among general dental practitioners, needs to be increased.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Royal Gwent Hospital, Newport.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muthukrishnan
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Walters
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Douglas
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000188:drug therapy; D000208:Acute Disease; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004739:England; D005792:General Practice, Dental / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008485:Medical Audit / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014076:Tooth Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents